Oklahoma Tribe's Accounts to Remain Frozen

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes spokeswoman says officials are disappointed with a federal judge's decision to keep the tribe's accounts at a bank frozen until an internal leadership dispute is resolved.

Lisa Liebl told The Oklahoman for a story in Friday's edition that tribal employees are working a reduced 32-hour work week because about $6.4 million in funds were frozen at Clinton-based First Bank and Trust Company.

In Wednesday's ruling, U.S. District Judge David Russell cited the ongoing dispute between Governor Janice Prairie Chief-Boswell and onetime Lieutenant Governor Leslie Wandrie-Harjo over who is the tribe's leader.

Bank officials froze the accounts because they aren't sure which woman is the authorized signatory on the bank accounts. An attorney for the bank didn't immediately return a call seeking comment on Friday.

(Information in the following story is from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com)